February23,2016

WASHINGTON—Reps. Keith Ellison (D-MN), Juan Vargas (D-CA), and Adam Smith (D-WA), released the following statement today after sending a letter to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud of Somalia congratulating him on signing a new Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting Terror Financing Bill into law. Reps. Tom Emmer (R-MN) and Joyce Beatty (D-OH) also signed the letter. The full text of the letter is available here.

“This law ensures that money for food, education, and small business start-ups sent from relatives abroad can reach families in Somalia without falling into the hands of extremist groups like Al-Shabaab and Daesh,” Rep. Ellison said. “By signing the strong Anti-Money Laundering Law passed by the Somali Parliament, President Mohamud is taking a critical step to restore the remittances lifeline and make it easier to combat terror, and that is cause for celebration.”

“I’m happy to learn President Mohamud signed the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Bill into law today,” Rep. Vargas said. “Remittances are crucial to ensuring the safety and stability of millions of Somalis.”

“I applaud Somali President Mohamud for signing important anti-money laundering legislation into law. I continue to hear from and value the views of my constituents about the critical issue of remittances and understand that we need to ensure that residents of the 9th District and Somali-Americans everywhere are able to once again send money back to their families which pays for food, health care, and education,” Rep. Smith said. “I will continue to fight for policies that reflect the importance of fighting terrorism, increase cooperation with Somalia wherever possible, and provide for the flow of much-needed support to families in Somalia.”